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.This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.^In May 2007 the Editor of the Morning Leader , Sonali Somarasinghe , was questioned by the CID over an investigative article alleging malpractices in the Central Bank.

.Sri Lanka (English pronunciation: /sriˈlɑːŋkə/, sriˈlæŋkə, or ʃriˈlɑːŋkə;[8][9]local pronunciation: [ˌɕriːˈlaŋkaː]; Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Tamil: இலங்கை), officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known as Ceylon (/sɪˈlɒn/) before 1972, is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India.^Ceylon is the old name of Sri Lanka.

^Sovereignty was retained by the British Queen from 1948 to 1972 and the root of the problem started after Sinhala dominated legislature unilaterally declared Ceylon as a Republic state with Sinhala only policy.

^Al Qutb Al-Sheikh ISMAIL Al-YAMANI Al-SAILANI http://www.rootsweb.com/~lkawgw/gen106.html Amongst the early migrants from the Arabian Peninsular to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), during the rule of the Sinhala Monarchs – that is, long before the South Indian Tamil kings and the Roman Catholic Portuguese colonists invaded Ceylon – was Al Qutb Al-Sheikh Ismail Al-Yamani Al-Sailani, also known affectionately as "Arabi Appa", a tamil phrase, meaning Arab GrandFather.

.June 2009" style="white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed] It has also been a center of the Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times as well as being a bastion of Hinduism.^Jayah was an eminent exponent of Islam, being so well versed with the Islamic religion, its culture and its civilisation.

[10].The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population; Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, form the largest ethnic minority.^Just say of course minority is suffering; they have legitimate grievances alien to the majority: it was injustice to constitute language of 75% of the population of the Island as the working language of the state in spite of minority language being the working language of minority areas.

.Other communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the indigenous Vedda people.^His other notable work in the Colombo Municipal Council was the appointment of female vaccinators who were very useful to our community, specially to the Moor women.

.The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon - which is native to the country.^Having made contacts with merchants in Arab countries, Mahmood Hajiar commenced exporting Ceylon produce and mporting Middle Eastern products.

[11].The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination.^From Sri Lanka to the intellectual heritage of the world .

.June 2009" style="white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed] The island also boasts the first female Prime Minister in the world, Sirimavo Bandaranaike.^In June 1943 Murad Jayah passed the Bsc (Hons) Physics and came first in the Island at the examination.

.After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal and the Netherlands beginning in the 16th century, before control of the entire country was ceded to the British Empire in 1815.[citation needed] During World War II, Sri Lanka served as an important base for Allied forces in the fight against the Japanese Empire.^He returned to Sri Lanka that same year.

[13] A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948.

Name

.In ancient times, Sri Lanka was known by a variety of names: ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane[14] (/təˈprɒbəniː/) and Arabs referred to it as Serendib (the origin of the word "serendipity").^Ports in ancient Sri Lanka Taprobane: Ancient Sri Lanka as known to the Greeks and Romans.

[15].Ceilão was the name given to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese when they arrived in 1505,[16] which was transliterated into English as Ceylon.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

^On January 10, 1883 fifty five Egyptian exiles led by the famous Colonel Arabi Pasha arrived in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and Ismails knowlkdge of Arabic proved extremely useful for interacting with them.

.In 1972, the official name of the country was changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka" (in Sinhala ශ්‍රී ලංකා śrī laṃkā, IPA: [ˌʃɾiːˈlaŋkaː]; whereas the island itself is referred to as ලංකාව laṃkāva, IPA: [laŋˈkaːʋə], in Tamil இலங்கை ilaṅkai, iˈlaŋɡai).^Ceylon is the old name of Sri Lanka.

.In 1978 it was changed to "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka".[18] The current name is derived from the Sanskrit श्री लंका (śrī lankā) with the word lankā, meaning "island",[19] also being the name of the island as described in the ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and the Ramayana.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Geography and climate

.The island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.According to colonial British reports, this is a natural causeway which was formerly complete, but was breached by a violent storm in 1480.[21] The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part.^Several districts in the country's south have still not reported casualty figures, and authorities fear the death toll could rise.

.Its position between 5 and 10 north latitude endows the country with a warm climate moderated by ocean winds and considerable moisture.^The main problem with this formula was that whereas the US troops would leave the country, the North Vietnamese troops could remain in their positions in the south.

.The mean temperature ranges from about 16 °C (61 °F) in the Central Highlands, where frost may occur for several days in the winter, to a maximum of approximately 33 °C (91 °F) in other low-altitude areas.^Health officials are concerned about cholera and other infectious agents present in the affected areas.

^Changes in the "tilt" of the earth can change the severity of the seasons - more "tilt" means more severe seasons - warmer summers and colder winters; less "tilt" means less severe seasons - cooler summers and milder winters.

The average yearly temperature ranges from 28 °C (82 °F) to nearly 31 °C (88 °F). Day and night temperatures may vary by 4 °C (7 °F) to 7 °C (13 °F). During the coldest days of January, many people wear coats and sweaters in the highlands and elsewhere.

May, the hottest period, precedes the summer monsoon rains. .The rainfall pattern is influenced by monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal: as the winds encounter the mountain slopes of the Central Highlands, they unload heavy rains on the slopes and the southwestern areas of the island.^While ground shaking damaged buildings and roads on Sumatra, the real havoc was caused by large ocean waves in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean that were displaced by the quake.

Some of the windward slopes receive up to 2,500 millimetres (98 in) of rain each month, but the leeward slopes in the east and northeast receive little rain. .Periodic squalls occur and sometimes tropical cyclones bring overcast skies and rains to the southwest, northeast, and eastern parts of the island.^The exiles were ultimately allowed to reside in any part of the island except the northern and eastern provinces.

Between December to March, monsoon winds come from the northeast, bringing moisture from the Bay of Bengal. .Humidity is typically higher in the southwest and mountainous areas and depends on the seasonal patterns of rainfall, and places like Colombo experience daytime humidity above 70% all year round, rising to almost 90% during the monsoon season in June.^We have been in human all these long years & it is only justifiable they rise to struggle.

Anuradhapura experiences a daytime low of 60% during the monsoon month of March, but a high of 79% during the November and December rains. In the highlands, Kandy's daytime humidity usually ranges between 70% and 79%.

Flora and fauna

The mountains and the southwestern part of the country, known as the "wet zone", receive ample rainfall at an average of 2,500 mm (98 in). Most of the east, southeast, and northern parts of the country comprise the "dry zone", which receives between 1,200 mm (47 in) and 1,900 mm (75 in) of rain annually. .Much of the rain in these areas falls from October to January; during the rest of the year there is very little precipitation.^Two of the transit centers, in Batticaloa and Trincomalee, never opened because of a lack of releases by the LTTE. By mid-year the LTTE no longer controlled these areas.

Varieties of flowering acacias are well adapted to the arid conditions and flourish on the Jaffna Peninsula. .Among the trees of the dry-land forests, are some valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak.^King Bhatika Abhaya (1st century A.C.) held a ceremony of watering the sacred tree, which seems to have been one of many such special pujas.

In the wet zone, the dominant vegetation of the lowlands is a tropical evergreen forest, with tall trees, broad foliage, and a dense undergrowth of vines and creepers. Subtropical evergreen forests resembling those of temperate climates flourish in the higher altitudes. .Forests at one time covered nearly the entire island, but by the late 20th century lands classified as forests and forest reserves covered around ⅓ of the land.^Our business was started in the late 1700's on the tiny island of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon at the time of the British occupation).

.The Yala National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and the Wilpattu National Park in the northwest preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills.^Giant waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km (2 miles) inland at Yala National Park in the ravaged southeast, Sri Lanka's biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants and several leopards.

.During the Mahaweli Ganga Program of the 1970s and 1980s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of land totaling 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi) as national parks.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.The national flower of Sri Lanka is the Nymphaea stellata (SinhaleseNil Mahanel),[24] the national tree is the Ironwood (Sinhalese Na),[25] and the national bird is the Sri Lanka Junglefowl, which is endemic to the country.^As Ananda Coomaraswamy points out, every Buddhist temple and monastery in India once had its Bodhi-tree and flower altar as is now the case in Sri Lanka.

History

Early periods

.Paleolithic human settlements have been discovered at excavations in several cave sites in the Western Plains region and the South-western face of the Central Hills region.^Their father, Assen Ali, had already settled down in the central hills of Ceylon several years back and was successful trading in household goods and merchandise.

.Anthropologists believe that some discovered burial rites and certain decorative artifacts exhibit similarities between the first inhabitants of the island and the early inhabitants of Southern India.^Some believe that India in recent days have been contacted like America was in the middle of the last century.

.Recent bioanthropological studies have however dismissed these links, and have placed the origin of the people to the northern parts of India[citation needed].^The government has not permitted other recent IDPs, primarily Tamils, to return home because their places of origins were declared HSZs.

.One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana, which described the emperor Ravana as monarch of the powerful kingdom of Lanka, which was created by the divine sculptor Vishwakarma for Kubera, the treasurer of the Gods.^God Saman is recorded as having met the Buddha on the latter's first visit to the island when he visited Mahiyangana to drive away the yakkhas.

[27].English historian James Emerson Tennent also theorized Galle, a southern city in Sri Lanka, was the ancient seaport of Tarshish from which King Solomon is said to have drawn ivory, peacocks and other valuables.^In fact it may have made them worse," said Jehan Perera, director of the National Peace Council in Sri Lanka.

.The main written accounts of the country's history are the Buddhist chronicles of Mahavansa and Dipavamsa.^The above brief account of the twelve poya days demonstrates how the poya day has become intimately connected with the life of the Buddha and consequently with the principal events of early Buddhist history.

.The earliest-known inhabitants of the island now known as Sri Lanka were probably the ancestors of the Wanniyala-Aetto people, also known as Veddahs and numbering roughly 3,000. Linguistic analysis has found a correlation of the Sinhalese language with the languages of the Sindh and Gujarat, although most historians believe that the Sinhala community emerged well after the assimilation of various ethnic groups.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.From the ancient period date some remarkable archaeological sites including the ruins of Sigiriya, the so-called "Fortress in the Sky", and huge public works.^He descends from some of the distinguished men who adorned the public services of the Island from the timeof the ancient Sinhalese Kings dating from the reign of Sri Sangabo and Sri Parakrama Bahu.

.Among the latter are large "tanks" or reservoirs, important for conserving water in a climate that alternates rainy seasons with dry times, and elaborate aqueducts, some with a slope as finely calibrated as one inch to the mile.^The "roundness", or eccentricity, of the earth's orbit varies on cycles of 100,000 and 400,000 years, and this affects how important the timing of perihelion is to the strength of the seasons.

.Ancient Sri Lanka was also the first in the world to have established a dedicated hospital in Mihintale in the 4th century BCE. Ancient Sri Lanka was also the world's leading exporter of cinnamon, which was exported to Egypt as early as 1400 BCE.^From Sri Lanka to the intellectual heritage of the world .

.Buddhism arrived from India in the 3rd century BCE, brought by BhikkhuMahinda, who is believed to have been the son of Mauryan emperor Ashoka.^Some believe that India in recent days have been contacted like America was in the middle of the last century.

Mahinda's mission won over the Sinhalese monarch Devanampiyatissa of Mihintale, who embraced the faith and propagated it throughout the Sinhalese population. .The Buddhist kingdoms of Sri Lanka would maintain a large number of Buddhist schools and monasteries, and support the propagation of Buddhism into Southeast Asia.^The large number of rituals and ceremonies connected with the goddess Pattini also come under Buddhist practices.

.At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north.^The Island which is known by the name of Lanka, and to the western nations by that of Ceylon, is said to have been called in the time of the three previous Buddhas of the present age Ojadipa, Varadipa, and Mandadipa respectively.

The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. .Although much of the island came under the domain of European powers, the interior, hilly region of the island remained independent, with its capital in Kandy.^The possibility of the exiles shifting to kandy, the interior capital, Ahmad Arabi Pasha and the Egyptian exiles in Sri Lanka may have been under consideration by the government.31 at the interviews, ‘Arabi pasha acted as spokesman for the others.

.The British East India Company established control of the island in 1796, declaring it a crown colony in 1802, although the island would not be officially connected with British India.^On the remote Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar, off the northern tip of Sumatra, officials still hadn’t established communications.

.The fall of the kingdom of Kandy in 1815 unified the island under British rule.^The story of the capture of Kandy in 1815 has been related by an anonymous eye-witness under the pseudonyme of PHILALETHES[5], and by MARSHALL in his Historical Sketch of the conquest.

20th Century and the World Wars

European colonists established a series of tea, cinnamon, rubber, sugar, coffee and indigo plantations. .The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy.^My husband provided financial assistance to build a Tamil School and a Madarasa in a Kayal Pattanam locality that was populated with a large number of illiterate children.

.The city of Colombo was established as the administrative centre, and the British established modern schools, colleges, roads and churches that brought Western-style education and culture to the native people.^His grandfather, Wapiche Marikar, built and nurtured Zahira College and a number of Arabic schools in Colombo.

.Increasing grievances over the denial of civil rights, mistreatment and abuse of natives by colonial authorities gave rise to a struggle for independence in the 1930s, when the Youth Leagues opposed the "Ministers' Memorandum," which asked the colonial authority to increase the powers of the board of ministers without granting popular representation or civil freedoms.^The struggle for a Separate State (Eelam) started since the colonial power took over the administration of Kandyan Kingdom in 1815.

.Buddhist scholars and the Teetotalist Movement also played a vital role in this time.^He also went on to play a major role in the Muslim Society in Ceylon at a time when the community was a badly neglected and hopelessly backward one.

.During World War II, the island served as an important Allied military base.^He was a member of the Moors Town Guard, Colombo, during the Great War 1914-1918 and was sectional ARP Warden during World War II 1939-1945.

.A large segment of the British and American fleet were deployed on the island, as were tens of thousands of soldiers committed to the war against Japan in Southeast Asia.^As the war continued, more and more Americans turned against it.

Independence

The formal ceremony marking the start of self rule, with the opening of the first parliament at Independence Square.

Following the war, popular pressure for independence intensified. .The office of Prime Minister of Ceylon was created in advance of independence on 14 October 1947, Don Stephen Senanayake being the first prime minister.^In 1947, the first election for the first Independent Parliament of Ceylon has been announced.

.On July 21, 1960 Sirimavo Bandaranaike took office as prime minister, and became the world's first female prime minister and the first female head of government in post-colonial Asia.^Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to send $2 million of aid, the government said in a statement issued in New Delhi yesterday.

.In 1972, during Sirimavo Bandaranaike's second term as prime minister, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and the name was changed to Sri Lanka.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

Civil war

One of the aspects of the independence movement was that it was very much a Sinhalese movement. .As a result, the Sinhalese majority attempted to remodel Sri Lanka as a Sinhalese nation-state.^He worked tirelessly at the national and social levels while he devoted himself for the well-being of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka.

The lion in the national flag is derived from the banner of the last Sinhalese Kingdom, which, to the Sinhalese majority, is a symbol of their fight against British colonialism. .One single strip of orange on the left part of the flag represents the Tamil population, and it is seen by many Tamil as a symbol of their marginalisation.^He also established many Tamil and Arabic Schools in many parts of the Central Province, some of which he himself managed and financed.

^He endorsed the thinking of the late Dr. Colvin R. De Silva that the recognition of both Sinhala and Tamil as official languages will preserve Ceylon as one nation, whereas the adoption of Sinhala only will create two nations.

^Bandaranaike came into power on the Sinhala nationalist card and his government was responsible for making Sinhala the country's official language, isolating the Tamil speaking ethnic Tamils and Muslims.

.The law mandated Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese community, which is spoken by over 70% of Sri Lanka's population, as the sole official language of Sri Lanka.^Tamil is the home language of the majority of the Muslims of Sri Lanka.

.Supporters of the law saw it as an attempt by a community that had just gained independence to distance themselves from their colonial masters.^He used the medium of newspaper articles, books, and speeches to induce the Muslim community to make an attempt to uplift themselves from the backward condition they were in.

.The immediate (and intended) consequence of this act was to force large numbers of Tamil who worked in the civil service, and who could not meet this language requirement, to resign.^Within this civil service there were certain traditions and there were also certain rules of work.

An attempt to make Buddhism the national religion, to the exclusion of Hindu and Islam, was also made. .Affirmative action in favour of Sinhalese was also instituted, ostensibly to reverse colonial discrimination against Sinhalese in favour of Tamil.^Convicted Sinhalese in the prison were unleashed upon them undoubtedly with State complicity only to be just massacred with no action taken against any of them.

.Many Tamil, in response to this deliberate marginalisation, came to believe that they deserved a separate nation-state for themselves.^Tamilians were not given a single space to take breath and they were pushed to declare the demand for a separate state called Eelam through Vadukoddai Resolutions in 1976.

^Having done collateral damage to the media, the government is now going on honeymoon with the parasitical journalists like the one operating from Helsinki and the paid media men operating from various Sri Lankan foreign missions, to promote its ruthless dictates.

.On May 19, 2009, the President of Sri Lanka officially claimed an end to the insurgency and the defeat of the LTTE, following the death of Velupillai Prabhakaran and much of the LTTE's other senior leadership.^As President of the All Ceylon Malay Association (now known as Sri Lanka Malay Association) he established cultural and social contacts with Malay leaders of the world.

Post War

.After the civil war is over in Sri Lanka, government of Sri Lanka calls for re-development of the country.^Death was so widespread in Sri Lanka that the government waived rules requiring an autopsy before burial.

Government and politics

.The Constitution of Sri Lanka establishes a democratic, socialistrepublic in Sri Lanka, which is also a unitary state.^The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) comprises one large, compact island and several islets, separated from the Indian subcontinent by a strip of sea which at its narrowest point is 40 kilometres and centrally located in the Indian Ocean, lying off the southern tip of India.

.In the exercise of duties, the President is responsible to the Parliament of Sri Lanka, which is a unicameral 225-member legislature.^Individuals from the group have expressed that they do not want to go back to Sri Lanka, making this a forced repatriation exercise.

.The President appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers composed of elected members of parliament.^After Proctor Haniffa's withdrawal from active civic politics, one of his sons, M.H. Mohamed, won the Maligawatte Ward and retained it without a break from 1947 to 1965 when he successfully entered the Parliament as MP for Borella and was appointed as a Cabinet Minister.

.The President's deputy is the Prime Minister, who leads the ruling party in parliament and shares many executive responsibilities, mainly in domestic affairs.^He was also appointed into the Upper House of Parliament, better known as the Senate, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister late Dudley Senanayake.

^The Sultan of Selangor, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Indonesia, the Governor of Singapore and the Deputy Prime Minister are only some of the Malay dignitaries who were entertained at the Association when he was President.

.Members of parliament are elected by universal (adult) suffrage based on a modified proportional representation system by district to a six-year term.^He had the unique distinction of becoming the first elected Member of Parliament in the first general election held for the Parliament of Independent Ceylon in 1947.

^In the meanwhile, the Donoughmore Commissioners had recommended universal adult franchise based on domicile, extending the vote to the Indian immigrant population shutting out representation to the minority communities particularly the Muslims.

The primary modification is that, the party that receives the largest number of valid votes in each constituency gains a unique "bonus seat." .The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and dissolve Parliament any time after it has served for one year.^The parliament also could be dissolved at his wish one year after its election.

.Her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga served for a short period as the prime minister between August and December 1994 before being elected as president from 1994 to 2005 for 2 consecutive terms.^The people will remember that presidential candidate Chandrika Kumaranatunga entered into a written agreement with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to abolish the office of Executive President on or before a specified date if elected to office, and based on this written promise, the JVP refrained from fielding their own candidate for the 1994 presidential election.

^Parliamentary elections held in August 1994 saw the UNP government narrowly defeated by a coalition People's Alliance (PA), led by the SLFP under the leadership of Solomon and Sirimavo Bandaranaike's daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga.

.The current president and prime minister, both of whom took office on November 21, 2005, are Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ratnasiri Wickremanayake respectively.^For three months Chandrika Kumaratunga remained prime minister as Wijetunga held the office of president.

^However, in view of the political pressure emanating from the Tamil Federal Party, the main minority party, the-then prime minster proposed plans for preferential treatment for Tamils, and the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam pact of 1957 also promised ‘recognition of Tamil as the language of a national minority'.

.There are also many smaller Buddhist, socialist and Tamil nationalist political parties that oppose the separatism of the LTTE but demand regional autonomy and increased civil rights.^Sri Lanka's minority communities, especially ethnic Tamils, have been worst affected by the increase human rights violations.

.Since 1948, Sri Lanka has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

^Muhammad Sadiq, the youngest son, a bachelor, decided to seek his pastures in the United Kingdom, spent a considerable portion of his life in England, and has since returned to settle down in Sri Lanka.

^He was also a proponent of greater understanding among South Asian nations for the resolution of common problems and played an active role in the formation of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC).

.Through the Cold War-era, Sri Lanka followed a foreign policy of non-alignment but has remained closer to the United States and Western Europe.^Sri Lanka Guardian too came under unimaginable pressures from the state following the death of Lasantha for upholding the just discipline of honest journalism.

These are administered by the Ministry of Defence. .During 1971 and 1989 the army assisted the police in government response against the Marxist militants of the JVP and fought the LTTE from 1983 to 2009. Sri Lanka receives considerable military assistance from Pakistan and China.^Death was so widespread in Sri Lanka that the government waived rules requiring an autopsy before burial.

Foreign relations and military

Foreign relations

.Sri Lanka traditionally follows a nonaligned foreign policy but has been seeking closer relations with the United States since December 1977. It participates in multilateral diplomacy, particularly at the United Nations, where it seeks to promote sovereignty, independence, and development in the developing world.^December 1994 Ratmalana, Sri Lanka .

^Amidst the heavy workload, Tony surprisingly found time to be a social worker too, and was a Mental Health social worker at the Mental hospital Angoda, and a member of the Sarvodaya movement for a brief period.

.It also is a member of the Commonwealth, the SAARC, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and the Colombo Plan.^He was a member of the Moors Town Guard, Colombo, during the Great War 1914-1918 and was sectional ARP Warden during World War II 1939-1945.

.The total strength of the three services is around 230,000 active personnel who have voluntary joined, since military draft have never been imposed in Sri Lanka.^Sri Lanka was never a “model democracy” .

.The Sri Lanka Armed Forces are currently in a fully mobilized (including reserves) state due to the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War against the LTTE which is proscribed as a terrorist organization by 32 countries.^Sri Lanka Guardian too came under unimaginable pressures from the state following the death of Lasantha for upholding the just discipline of honest journalism.

In support of the armed forces there are two paramilitary units functioning under purview of the Ministry of Defence, which are the Special Task Force and the Civil Defence Force. .Sri Lanka did not had a Coast Guard service until Aug 10, 2009 and its Navy carried out such duties.^He toiled from 8 am until 10 pm on a daily basis in carrying out his business successfully and fruitfully.

Discussions were underway with respect to establishing a coast guard service.[32] and on .Aug 10, 2009 director-general of Sri Lanka Department of Coast Guard Daya Dharmapriya officially announced the on behalf of the government the launching of the service.^Death was so widespread in Sri Lanka that the government waived rules requiring an autopsy before burial.

[33].Since independence from Britain in 1948, the primary focus of the armed forces has been on internal security, due to three major insurgencies, most notably engaged in the 30-year long war with the LTTE and finally claimed victory at 19 May 2009 after the death of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran which took place at 18 May 2009 by a Sri Lanka army attack.^He returned to Sri Lanka that same year.

Peace keeping

.Even though its armed forces were then engaged in an internal conflict, Sri Lanka contributed with forces in international missions organised by the United Nations, notably the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti and continue to contribute their forces to the United Nations.^Sri Lanka representative to Habitat International.

.On the 21 October 2009 another group of two hundred Sri Lankan troops including nine officers from all three branches of the armed forces were added to the current deployment in a passing-out parade.^Individuals from the group have expressed that they do not want to go back to Sri Lanka, making this a forced repatriation exercise.

^Those anti-Rajapakses including some Tamil forces who have sided with the General have in fact done so believing in the General and not out of any penchant to the constituents of the common opposition, thus adding a further burden on the General to be above the common opposition’s stringent guidelines.

Economy

.In the 19th and 20th Centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export.^On January 10, 1883 fifty five Egyptian exiles led by the famous Colonel Arabi Pasha arrived in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and Ismails knowlkdge of Arabic proved extremely useful for interacting with them.

The development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade. .During World War II, the island hosted important military installations and Allied forces.^He was a member of the Moors Town Guard, Colombo, during the Great War 1914-1918 and was sectional ARP Warden during World War II 1939-1945.

However, the plantation economy aggravated poverty and economic inequality. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the government's economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were nationalised and a welfare state established. While the standard of living and literacy improved significantly, the nation's economy suffered from inefficiency, slow growth and lack of foreign investment. .From 1977 the UNP government began incorporating privatisation, deregulation and promotion of private enterprise.^Soon, through hard work and commitment, Nuwara Mudalali emerged as the largest supplier of vegetables to key government institutions and private enterprises in Colombo.

While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other agricultural commodities remains important, the nation has moved steadily towards an industrialised economy with the development of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. .By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of export, and further declined to 16.8% in 2005 (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments have reached 63%.^"The toll is going up and I will not be surprised it reaches 20,000 to 25,000," said Nimal Hettiarchchi, director of Sri Lanka's National Disaster Management Center.

The GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% during the early 1990s, until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997–2000, with average growth of 5.3%. .The year of 2001 saw the first recession in the country's history, as a result of power shortages, budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife.^Since then he was returned to power in eight elections, counting 39 years as an MP. This was one of the longest unbroken parliamentary records in the country.

Signs of recovery appeared after the 2002 ceasefire which died away following the beginning of war. .Since the separatist war ended in May 2009 the Sri Lankan stock market has shown marked gains to be among the 3 best performing markets in the world.^Since then, many eminent Sri lankan Speakers have used this as their official residence.

^Since a cease-fire in 2002 ended a 20-year civil war, tourism and foreign investment have soared, giving Sri Lanka a relatively stable economy and one of the fastest-growing stock markets in the world.

.The new government stopped the privatization of state enterprises and reforms of state utilities such as power and petroleum, and embarked on a subsidy program called the Rata Perata economic program.^It was also agreed that the governments in North and South Vietnam would remain in power until new elections could be arranged to unite the whole country.

Its main theme to support the rural and suburban SMEs and protect the domestic economy from external influences, such as oil prices, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. .Sri Lanka, with an income per head of US$1,400, still lags behind some of its neighbors including Maldives and Mauritius but is ahead of its giant neighbor India.^Count on us when you want to organize a Holiday in Sri Lanka or when you want to book a Hotel in Sri Lanka.

Its economy grew by an average of 5% during the 1990s during the 'War for Peace' era. .According to the Sri Lankan central bank statistics, the economy was estimated to have grown by 7% last year, while inflation reached 20%.^The Sri Lankan government estimates it will need between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion to rebuild.

.The economy was briefly buoyed by an influx of foreign aid and tourists, but this was disrupted with the reemergence of the civil war resulting in increased lawlessness in the country[37] and a sharp decline in tourism.^But a British consulate official in Thailand warned that hundreds more foreign tourists were likely killed in the country's resorts.

^Since a cease-fire in 2002 ended a 20-year civil war, tourism and foreign investment have soared, giving Sri Lanka a relatively stable economy and one of the fastest-growing stock markets in the world.

[38][39].But following the end of the 3 decade long separatist war in May 2009 tourism has seen a steep uptick.^Although the civil war in Sri Lanka ended in May 2009, more that 200,000 Sri Lankan Tamils are currently confined in internment camps where conditions are extremely poor and show little signs of improvement.

Provinces

.The Provinces of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: පළාතTamil: மாகாணம்) have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils following several decades of increasing demand for a decentralization of the Government of Sri Lanka.^They asked particularly what the status of the exiles was in Sri Lanka.

^Let the people of Sri Lanka whether Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Vedhas and many other communities forgetting their differences and join their hands and in unison give the much needed farewell to this terror government that has wrecked the established fundamental values that Sri Lankan society practiced for centuries on the election day.

[40].Between 1988 and 2006 the Northern and Eastern provinces were temporarily merged to form the North-East Province.^The exiles were ultimately allowed to reside in any part of the island except the northern and eastern provinces.

.Prior to 1987, all administration was handled by a district-basedcivil service which had been in place since colonial times.^The British later took over the administration and based on minutes of Sir Hugh Cleghorn the British Colonial Secretary in 1976, it is evident that two different nations, entirely different in their religion, language and manners, lived in Ceylon at that time.

Districts

.The provinces of Sri Lanka are divided into 25 districts (Sinhala: දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක sing. දිස්ත්‍රික්කයTamil: மாவட்டம்).^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Each district is administered under a District Secretariat. The districts are further subdivided into divisional secretariats, and these in turn to Grama Sevaka divisions.

The Districts are known in Sinhala as Disa and in Tamil as Maawaddam. Originally a Disa (usually rendered into English as Dissavony) was a duchy, notably Matale and Uva. The Government Agent, who is known as District Secretary, administers a district.

These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. .They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became 'Assistant Government Agents' and the Divisions were known as 'A.G.A. Divisions'. Currently, the Divisions are administered by a 'Divisional Secretary', and are known as a 'D.S. Divisions'. Rural D.S. Divisions are also administered by a 'Pradeshiya Sabha' and 'Pradesha Sabhai' (Sinhala and Tamil for 'Regional Council'), which is elected.^He was nominated to the State Council in 1936 and was elected to the Sate Council in 1947 when he became the Minister of Labour.

Demographics

.Sri Lanka is the 53rd most populated nation in the world, with an annual population growth rate of 0.79%.^In fact it may have made them worse," said Jehan Perera, director of the National Peace Council in Sri Lanka.

.Sri Lanka has a birth rate of 15.63 births per 1,000 people and a death rate of 6.49 deaths per 1,000 people.^Sri Lanka Guardian too came under unimaginable pressures from the state following the death of Lasantha for upholding the just discipline of honest journalism.

.Population density is highest in western Sri Lanka, especially in and around the capital.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

They are believed to be the original indigenous group to inhabit the island. .The Sinhalese people form the largest ethnic group in the nation, composing approximately 81.9% of the total population.^The Sinhala King Parakramabahu ruled Kotte in the south populated by Sinhalese people.

.Tamils are concentrated in the North, East, Central and Western provinces of the country.^He also established many Tamil and Arabic Schools in many parts of the Central Province, some of which he himself managed and financed.

.Indian Tamils who were brought as indentured labourers from India by British colonists to work on estate plantations, nearly 50% of whom were repatriated following independence in 1948,[44] are called "Indian Origin" Tamils.^There are two groups of Tamils: ‘Sri Lankan Tamils' (also known as ‘Ceylon' or ‘Jaffna' Tamils) are the descendants of Tamil-speaking groups who migrated from south India many centuries ago; and ‘Up Country Tamils' (also known as ‘Indian' or ‘estate' Tamils), who are descendants of comparatively recent immigrants.

.They are distinguished from the native Tamil population that has resided in Sri Lanka since ancient times.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.According to 2001 census data Indian Tamils makeup 5.1% of the Sri Lankan population and, Sri Lankan Tamils 4.3% but this figure only accounted for Sri Lankan Tamils in government-controlled areas, not accounting for those in rebel-held territories.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.The World Factbook states that Sri Lankan Tamils make up 14% of the population.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

.There is a significant population (8.0%) of Moors, who trace their lineage to Arab traders and immigrants from the Middle East.^He traces his ancestry to Sheikh Jamaludeen Al Maghdoomi, the pioneer Arab settler who established himself in the seaboard town of Beruwala.

Their presence is concentrated in the cities and the central and eastern provinces. .There are also small ethnic groups such as the Burghers (of mixed European descent) and Malays from Southeast Asia.^As for ZH Mantara, the argument raised against him was that he was only a young rising Proctor from a small minority Malay group within the Muslim community.

.English is fluently spoken by approximately 10% of the population, and is widely used for education, scientific and commercial purposes.^ISMAIL LEBBE MARIKAR SULTAN MARIKAR ILM Sultan Marikar received an elementary education but could converse in English fluently.

.Members of the Burgher community speak variant forms of Portuguese Creole and Dutch with varying proficiency, while members of the Malay community speak a form of creole Malay that is unique to the island.^Besides donations from members of the Malay community, contributions were also received from well wishers.

.Buddhism constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the population of the island,[45][46] most of whom follow the Theravada school of Buddhism.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

[47].According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles, Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in the 2nd century BCE by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the Emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka's King Devanampiyatissa.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

.During this time, a sapling of the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment was brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries were established under the sponsorship of the Sri Lankan king.^First Muslim lawyer of Sri Lanka.

The Pali Canon (Thripitakaya), having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BC.[48]

.Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any predominately Buddhist nation,[47] with the Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 2nd century BCE. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with Thailand and Burma.^Hundreds have been killed in Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

.Periods of Mahayana influence, as well as official neglect under colonial rule, created great challenges for Theravada Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka, but repeated revivals and resurgences—most recently in the 19th century—have kept the Theravada tradition alive for over 2000 years.^He returned to Sri Lanka that same year.

.Hinduism the second most prevalent religion in Sri Lanka and it also arrived from India.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.Religions which today exist in Sri Lanka, in addition to Buddhism and Hinduism include Islam as well as different churches of Christianity.^It was the golden-era of P. de S. Kularatne at Ananda and the anti-imperialist agitation was at its peak in Sri Lanka and the fever was felt in schools as well.

.Followers of Islam comprise nearly eight percent of the population,[46] having been brought to the island by Arab traders over the course of many centuries, most are Sunni who follow the Shafi'i school.^They followed the Shafi School of jurisprudence.

.Hinduism was primarily established in Sri Lanka by migrants and often invaders from southern India,[51] Hindus constitute just over 7 percent of the population,[46][52] mostly of the Shaivite school.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

[citation needed] European colonists introduced Christianity to the country in the 16th century,[53] and the religion has been adopted by around six percent of the population.[46]

.There also was a small population of Zoroastrian immigrants from India (Parsis) who settled in Ceylon during the period of British rule.^Many were the Muslims of South India who came to ceylon in pursuit of trade as well as for the purpose of imparting the Arabic language and also spreading Islam.

.As a result of emigration, few remain, yet they have played a significant role in the growth of the country.^Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would investigate what role his country could play in setting up an Indian Ocean warning system.

.The former finance minister of Sri Lanka, Nariman Choksy, was a Parsi.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

.Other famous Parsi families in Sri Lanka include the Captain family and the Pestongee family.^M U M SALIE 1869-1963 http://www.lankagems.com/ Family history related by Yssuf Salie (grandson of MUM Salie) Greetings from Sri Lanka and welcome to the LankaGems website.

^Here, in this palatial house on Church Street in Galle, with a massive door studded with huge brass fitrments guarding the entrance, lived one of Sri Lanka’s most famous and affluent families, the Macan Markar’s.

.Religion plays an important part in the life and culture of Sri Lankans.^The so-called Sri Lankan Government is still treating the Sinhala Buddhists as disabled or handicapped persons who have to be propped-up to enable them to lead a normal life.

The Buddhist majority observe Poya Days, once per month according to the Lunar calendar. The Hindus and Muslims also observe their own holidays. .There are many Buddhist temples spread throughout the island in addition to numerous mosques, Hindu temples and churches, especially in areas where respective communities are concentrated.^During this time there were numerous callers with problems of whom many were students, for whom he would respond patiently and settle their affairs.

^At this time, there were many with the last name 'Salie' working at the factory - and the people of the town wanted to give him a different and distinct name to honor his contribution to the community.

^The branch schools of Zahira College also received his generous gifts, as also many Mosques throughout the Island, the Deaf and Blind School at Ratmalana, and the Boy’s Industrial School at Maharagama.

.Hindus are concentrated in north, east, and central high lands, though high populations also exists in the capital city of Colombo and in the surrounding suburbs.^Tamil by the Muslims of the South and Central Ceylon would almost cut them off from the Muslims of the East and North Ceylon; .....

Christians, particularly Roman Catholics are mainly concentrated along the western coastal belt.

.Muslims are concentrated in several pockets along the coast and in theinterior.^Many European tourists remained among the several thousand people missing along Thailand's southern coast, which is dotted with smashed and wrecked cars and building material.

.All religious communities are represented in the western province and in other urban centers in sizable numbers.^This helped not only the Muslims of the area but all communities that lived in the Eastern Province at that time.

.Sri Lanka was ranked the 3rd most religious country in the world by a 2008 Gallup poll, with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Health

Life expectancy was 69 for males and 76 for females in 2006.[55] Government expenditure on health care was aprox. .US$ 105 (PPP) in 2006. [56] Sri Lanka has about 48.9 physicians per 100,000 people.^There was an assembly of about 5,000 people".

[57].The Médecins Sans Frontières are active in Sri Lanka.^He also took an active part in Malay Community matters and is the author of the Malay Directory published by the Sri Lanka Malay Association in 1990.

Education

.With a literacy rate of 92%, and 83% of the total population having had Secondary Education,[58] Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations amongst developing nations.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

[59].An education system which dictates 9 years of Compulsory Schooling for every child is in place, with 99% of the children entering the first grade.^This includes the recruitment of child soldiers by both the LTTE and the Karuna faction, on an average of 50 children every month.

Dr. Kannangara led the establishment of the Madhya Maha Vidyalayas (Central Schools) in different parts of the country in order to provide education to Sri Lanka's rural population. In 1942 a special education committee proposed extensive reforms to establish an efficient and quality education system for the people. However in the 1980s changers to this system saw the separation the of administration of schools between the central government and the provincial government. .Thus the elite National Schools are controlled directly by the Ministry of Education and the provincial schools by the provincial government.^Thus started the English education at Akurana Government School.

^As there were no facilities or staff to impart English education to the students of Akurana Government School, he made representations to the Department of Education, in Kandy and requested them to appoint an English Teacher to Akurana Government School .

These schools are modeled on British colleges. A majority of them are public, but a number of private schools do exist. .While most reputed National and Private Schools centered around large cities are usually single-sex institutions, rural provincial schools tend to be coeducational.^A highly religious personality he was a great philanthropist who generously helped a large number of Mosques, Schools and other Muslim institutions as well as needy individuals.

.In recent decades, a large number of international schools have been established across the nation.^A highly religious personality he was a great philanthropist who generously helped a large number of Mosques, Schools and other Muslim institutions as well as needy individuals.

.Many of the schools offer subjects in Sinhala and Tamil languages with regionally leading schools offering subjects in English medium also.^Main languages: Sinhala (official and national language), Tamil (national language), English .

.However the lack of space in these institutions and the unwillingness to establish private universities has led to a large number of students been denied entry into formal universities as well as high undergraduate unemployment.^A highly religious personality he was a great philanthropist who generously helped a large number of Mosques, Schools and other Muslim institutions as well as needy individuals.

.As a result, a number of public and private institutions have emerged, which provide specialised education in a variety of fields, such as computer science, business administration and law.^He also helped build a number of educational institutions, both Islamic and secular in South India.

.These include the government owned Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology and the Institute of Technological Studies.^His journalism would have savaged the terror and corrupt cocktail of the government and the citizen’s of Sri Lanka would have come to know many of the hidden secrets of public importance to formulate their own opinion of the government.

.The free education system ensures that primary to tertiary education is provided free of charge to its citizens.^Aziz made every endeavour to provide technical education to the students and in fact made use of an offer by the Education Department to grant an interest free loan of Rs.

Transport

.Most Sri Lankan cities and towns are connected by the Sri Lanka Railways, the state-run national railway operator.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.The first railway line was inaugurated on April 26, 1867, linking Colombo with Kandy.^In 1981, he inaugurated the first meeting of Foreign Secretaries of South Asian countries held in Colombo to explore prospects for regional co-operation.

^In April 1945, Murad Jayah was appointed Assistant Divisional Transportation Superintendent in the Ceylon Government Railway, being the first Muslim to receive an executive appointment in the Railway.

.The total length of Sri Lankan roads exceeds 11,000 kilometres (6,840 mi), with a vast majority of them being paved.^A Sri Lankan expert stated that the movement of the second victim after being shot was not consistent with the normal expected reaction.

.The government has launched several highway projects to bolster the economy and national transport system, including the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, the Colombo-Kandy (Kadugannawa) Expressway, the Colombo-Padeniya Expressway and the Outer Circular Highway to ease Colombo's traffic congestion.^Jayah always promoted national politics as the ideal system of governance in Sri Lanka.

There are also plans to build a major bridge connecting Jaffna to the Indian city of Chennai.

.The Ceylon Transport Board is the state-run agency responsible for operating public bus services across the island.^The first thirteen years of his public life commencing in the year 1935 portrays him as a devoted, hardworking and enthusiastic public servant in the Ceylon Civil Service.

^At Colombo's modern international airport Tuesday night, diplomats from various countries arrived to rescue their stranded citizens from a country that until recently was considered a nascent success story.

.In its 2007 report, however, Amnesty International stated that "escalating political killings, child recruitment, abductions and armed clashes created a climate of fear in the east, spreading to the north by the end of the year", whilst also outlining concerns with violence against women, the death penalty and "numerous reports of torture in police custody". However, the report also stated that the ceasefire between government and LTTE remained in place despite numerous violations.^Tortured to death by the police and Prison officials for not paying bribes .

However, the Sri Lankan minister for HR said "We regret one or two statements made here, that fly in the face of all concrete evidence, that the situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating, when we have dealt more firmly with terrorism, with far-less damage to civilians, than in any comparative situation."[65] Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said, the report presents a distorted view of the actual situation in Sri Lanka during the year 2007 and is a litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations.[66]

.Sri Lanka's government is labeled as one of the "world's worst perpetrators of enforced disappearances", according to a study by US-based pressure group 'Human Rights Watch' (HRW).^It is easy to go about the world preaching about the human rights record of Sri Lanka.

.An HRW report accuses security forces and pro-government militias of abducting and "disappearing" hundreds of people—mostly Tamils—since 2006. Sri Lanka's government says HRW has exaggerated the scale of the problem.^Tamils being abducted and many of them have disappeared.

.The report said, "The number of disappearances carried out by the Tamil Tigers in government-controlled areas was relatively low.^He said the government did not know what was happening in areas of the northeast controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels.

.But, the Tigers were responsible for targeted killings, forced child recruitment, bomb attacks on civilians and the repression of basic rights in areas they controlled."^The fedayeen attack resulted in a 22-hour confrontation between the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the terrorists, who managed to entrench themselves in a local hotel before they were killed.

.The island is the home of two main traditional cultures: the Sinhalese (centered in the ancient cities of Kandy and Anuradhapura) and the Tamil (centered in the city of Jaffna).^One of the founder members of the Board of Trustees of the Moors’ Islamic Cultural Home Appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the whole Island by the British Government.

^There was a King in Kandy in the central highlands populated by Sinhalese to whom Tamil feudal Vanniar chieftain in Batticaloa in the east paid tribute and there was a Tamil Jaffna Kingdom ruled by Pararajasegaran.

.In more recent times a British colonial culture was added, and lately Sri Lanka, particularly in the urban areas, has experienced a dramatic makeover in the western mold.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.Until recently, for example, most Sri Lankans, certainly those in the villages, have eaten traditional food, engaged in traditional crafts and expressed themselves through traditional arts.^He gave the following examples: (a) A Sri Lankan expert stated that there was no recoil or movement of the weapon discharged.

.But economic growth and intense economic competition in developed countries has spilled over to most of Sri Lanka, producing changes that might variously be identified as progress, westernisation or a loss of identity and assimilation.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Traditional food

Typical Sri Lankan dish of Rice and Prawns.

Sri Lankans have added western influences to the customary diet such as rice and curry, pittu (mixture of fresh rice meal, very lightly roasted and mixed with fresh grated coconut, then steamed in a bamboo mould). Kiribath (cooked in thick coconut cream for this unsweetened rice-pudding which is accompanied by a sharp chili relish called "lunumiris"), wattalapam (rich pudding of Malay origin made of coconut milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs, and various spices including cinnamon cloves and nutmeg), kottu, and hoppers ("appa"), batter cooked rapidly in a hot curved pan, accompanied by eggs, milk or savouries.

Middle Eastern influences and practices are found in traditional Moor dishes. While Dutch and Portuguese influences are found with the island's Burgher community preserving their culture through traditional favourites such as Lamprais (rice cooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf), Breudher (Dutch Christmas cake) and Bolo Fiado (Portuguese-style layer cake).

Festivals

.Every year on or about April 13 Sinhala and Tamil people celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival, and Muslims celebrate Ramadan.^It is from such people that we have had the truth about the shallow Chemmani grave containing hundreds of Tamil remains and the truth about the gang rape and murder of Krishanthy by the army personnel in Jaffna.

It is very grand with elegant costumes. .Happening in July or August in Kandy, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka.^He felt that without Arabic language, the Muslims of Sri Lanka will become culturally isolated, and shall lose entirely the rich heritage.

It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly decorated elephants.

There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional 'diya-kepeema'. The elephant is paraded around the city bearing the tooth of Buddha. However the new year for tamils have been established as being on January 14 from this year.

Cinema

.Sri Lankan cinema in past years has featured subjects such as family relationships, love stories and the years of conflict between the military and Tamil Tiger rebels.^The emotion and anger have not gone away in the year since this famous Sri Lankan journalist’s death,” Reporters Without Borders said.

^Sri Lankan asylum seekers and refugees currently living in Malaysia cannot be forced to return to uncertain conditions of living where they might have to live in camps or where they might be subject to persecution.

.The first film to be produced and shown in Sri Lanka was Kadawunu Poronduwa (The Broken Promise) which was released in 1947. The first colour film of Sri Lanka was Ranmuthu Duwa.^First Muslim lawyer of Sri Lanka.

.The most influential filmmaker in the history of Sri Lankan cinema is Lester James Peiris who has directed many movies of excellent quality which led to global acclaim.^Sir Muhammad Macan Markar was an active participant in Sri Lankan politics as was his son Ahmed Hussain Macan Markar, a lawyer who counted many decades in Municipal politics, being elected Deputy Mayor of Colombo.

.His latest film, Wekande Walauwa ("Mansion by the Lake") became the first movie to be submitted from Sri Lanka for the Best Foreign Language film award at the Academy Awards.^Experience Sri Lanka's Wildlife at it's best.

.In 2005 the director Vimukthi Jayasundara became the first Sri Lankan to win the prestigious Camera d’Or award for Best First Film, or any award for that matter, at the Cannes Film Festival for his Sinhalese language film Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land).^This crime which was caught on television cameras also became shocking news and the story has profoundly reflected on the insecurity and the nature of the failure of the government in Sri Lanka.

.Controversial filmmaker Asoka Handagama's films are considered by many in the Sri Lankan film world to be the best films of honest response to the ethnic conflict currently raging in the country.^There are two groups of Tamils: ‘Sri Lankan Tamils' (also known as ‘Ceylon' or ‘Jaffna' Tamils) are the descendants of Tamil-speaking groups who migrated from south India many centuries ago; and ‘Up Country Tamils' (also known as ‘Indian' or ‘estate' Tamils), who are descendants of comparatively recent immigrants.

^Sri Lankan asylum seekers and refugees currently living in Malaysia cannot be forced to return to uncertain conditions of living where they might have to live in camps or where they might be subject to persecution.

.His films have won many awards, both local and international.^As a politician in both areas - local and national he was sincere, honest and forthright - qualities which many a politician lack in current times.

Recent releases like 'Sooriya Arana', 'Samanala thatu', and 'Hiripoda wessa' have attracted Sri Lankans to cinemas. Sri Lankan films are usually in the Sinhalese language. .Tamil language movies are also filmed in Sri Lanka but they are part of Kollywood which is IndianTamil cinema.^Tamil is the home language of the majority of the Muslims of Sri Lanka.

.It is also known as Sri Lankan Tamil cinema in Sri Lanka.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

.However some Kollywood films are based in Sri Lanka as well.^It was the golden-era of P. de S. Kularatne at Ananda and the anti-imperialist agitation was at its peak in Sri Lanka and the fever was felt in schools as well.

Music

The earliest music came from the theater at a time when the traditional open-air drama (referred to in Sinhala as Kolam, Sokari and Nadagam). In 1903 the first music album, Nurthi, was released through Radio Ceylon. .Also Vernon Corea introduced Sri Lankan music in the English Service of Radio Ceylon.^Since May 1965 as Secretary, ceylon Malay Research Organization he devoted his full time honorary service to the Sri Lankan Malay Community.

.In the early 1960s, Indian music in films greatly influenced Sri Lankan music and later Sri Lankan stars like Sunil Shantha found greater popularity among Indian people.^Sri Lankan officials said another 7,275 people were now known to have died in the Dec.

The notable songwriters Mahagama Sekara and Ananda Samarakoon made a Sri Lankan music revolution. .At the peak of this revolution, musicians such as W. D. Amaradeva, H.R. Jothipala, Milton Mallawarachchi, M.S. Fernando, Annesley Malewana and Clarence Wijewardene did great work.^His works and thoughts bear comparison to the great Islamists of the late 19th Century such as Moulana Jalaludeen Afghani, Muhammad Abduh and Allama Iqbal.

.A very popular type of music is the so-called Baila, a kind of dance music that originated from Portuguese music introduced to the island in colonial times.^This same person made me a very detailed report of all the plants in Ceylon which have been used from time immemorial for medical purposes by Muhammadan native physicians in the Island.

Media

The national radio station, Radio Ceylon is the oldest-running radio station in Asia.[68][69] It was established in 1923 by Edward Harper just three years after broadcasting was launched in Europe.[70] It remains one of the most popular stations in Asia, with its programming reaching neighboring Asian nations. .The station is managed by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and broadcasts services in Sinhalese, Tamil, English and Hindi.^It was subsequently taken over by Government of Sri Lanka in 1957 for construction of the new Police station and officers’ quarters.

Since the 1980s, a large number of private radio stations have also being introduced, and they have gained commercial popularity and success. Broadcast television was introduced to the country in 1979 when the Independent Television Network was launched. Initially all Television stations were state controlled, but private television networks began broadcasts in 1992.[71]

.Global television networks from India, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States are also widely popular, and cable and satellite television is gaining in popularity with Sri Lanka's middle-class.^Sri Lanka Guardian too came under unimaginable pressures from the state following the death of Lasantha for upholding the just discipline of honest journalism.

.Popular publications include the English language Daily Mirror and The Sunday Observer and The Sunday Times, Divayina, Lankadeepa and Lakbima in Sinhalese and the Tamil publications Dinakaran and Uthayan.^He showed a flair for English writing and started with the Children's Corner in the Sunday Observer to which he was a regular contributor from the age of 15.

^His service as a sports journalist of the former Times of Ceylon, the present Sunday Times and the Daily Mirror, was only second to that of his father, H.M. Marikar.Both these sports lovers were known as Mariks in their native Kandy, as well as in Colombo.

Sports

A Test match between Sri Lanka and England at the SCC Ground, Colombo, March 2001.

.While the national sport in Sri Lanka is volleyball,[72] by far the most popular sport in the country is cricket.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.Sri Lanka's schools and colleges regularly organize sports and athletics teams, competing on provincial and national levels.^Count on us when you want to organize a Holiday in Sri Lanka or when you want to book a Hotel in Sri Lanka.

.The Sri Lankan cricket team achieved considerable success beginning in the 1990s, rising from underdog status to winning the 1996 World Cup[73] as well as the Asia Cup in 1996 and 2004. Sri Lanka remains one of the leading cricketing nations in the world, with the national team reaching the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, where they lost to Australia.^They asked particularly what the status of the exiles was in Sri Lanka.

The country co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Pakistan, and has hosted the Asia Cup tournament on numerous occasions. It will also co-host the 2011 Cricket World Cup. .Aquatic sports such as boating, surfing, swimming and scuba diving on the coast, the beaches and backwaters attract a large number of Sri Lankans and foreign tourists.^Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said the United States was sending helicopters, and an airborne surgical hospital from Finland arrived in Sri Lanka.

.There are two styles of martial arts native to Sri Lanka, Cheena di and Angampora.^Sri Lanka's military later told residents there to be vigilant but not to panic, while coastal villagers climbed onto rooftops or sought high ground.

^"Cinnamon". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2008. "(species Cinnamomum zeylanicum), bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae) native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the neighboring Malabar Coast of India, and Myanmar (Burma), and also cultivated in South America and the West Indies for the spice consisting of its dried inner bark. The bark is widely used as a spice due to its distinct odor."

^ British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the moment a Japanese fleet prepared to invade Sri Lanka as "the most dangerous and distressing moment of the entire conflict." – Commonwealth Air Training Program Museum, The Saviour of Ceylon

Domroes, Manfred: After the Tsunami: Relief and rehabilitation in Sri Lanka, New Delhi, Mosaic Books, 1st ed.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Knox, Robert: An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon in the East Indies, New Delhi 2004 (Reprint.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Sedere, Upali M.: Context of Educational Reforms Then and Now: 121st C. W. W. Kannangara.^Muhammad Sameer was educated at St. Thomas’ College and entered the Colombo Municipal Council clerical service in 1910.

Understand

Climate

.Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March) only
affects east coast; southwest monsoon (June to October) affects
mostly the west coast and mountains.^NATURAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE The monsoon season extends from December to March in the northeast and June to October in the southwest.

Terrain

.Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central
interior.^Terrain: Coastal plains in the northern third of country; hills and mountains in south-central Sri Lanka rise to more than 2,133 meters (7,000 ft.

History

The island has been mentioned in several ancient Indian texts.
.One of the most famous is the Ramayana, in which the
island, which was referred to as Lanka, was the island fortress of
the evil king Ravana, who captured the wife of Rama, an incarnation
of the Hindu God, Vishnu.^Râvana kidnaps Sîtâ, the wife of King Râma, an incarnation of the God Vishnu .

.Legend has it that Hanuman the monkey
flew over to Lanka and destroyed the capital by setting it on fire,
while Rama and his remaining troops later crossed over from the
mainland by building a land bridge across the sea.^Sri Lankan Navy ships are firing cannon missiles towards the shore, while large number of fishing boats and ships are seen in the mid sea carrying troops.

.Evidence for the
land bridge mentioned in the Ramayana has since been found by NASA
satellite images.^Mr Jeff Spivack, an expert in forensic video analysis, found no evidence of breaks in continuity in the video, no additional video layers, and no evidence of image manipulation.

.Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century B.C.
and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura
(kingdom from c.^Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200).

^The first such dagaba to be constructed after the official introduction of Buddhism into the country by the arahant Mahinda was the Thuparama at Anuradhapura, which enshrines the collar-bone of the Buddha.

Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch
in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796
and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon, it became independent
in 1948; the name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.

.Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists
erupted in violence in the mid-1980s, killing over 70,000. After a
shaky ceasefire between 2001 and 2008, open warfare erupted again,
with the Tamil Tigers finally surrendering in 2009. It remains to
be seen whether winning the war can be parlayed into lasting peace
as well.^Tamil Tigers killed in Sri Lanka .

.English is commonly
used in most cities, especially Colombo, Kandy and Galle and by
government and tourism officials.^Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population .

Don't expect everyone, everywhere
to be able to speak it fluently. .In the beach and tourist areas you
will have no problem with English.^The navy has been airlifting tourists who were stranded at hotels and bungalows near affected beaches to safer areas.

.Most people in rural villages
however cannot speak any English, beyond a few simple words.^There is a small village, all the inhabitants of which speak the Malabaric language, and chiefly consist of Hindoos and Mahometans, some Romish Portuguese, and a very few Protestants.

Sinhala Language The greeting in Sinhala is
"ayubowan", pronounced "aybohan" It means "May you live longer";
'Thank you' is "Bohoma istuti, pronounced "bohame stutti" and "how
are you" is "kohomada", pronounced "Ko homede""

Tamil Language: The greeting in Tamil is
"Vanakkam"; 'Thank you' is "Nanri"

Sri Lankan Muslim: If you meet a Muslim it is
polite to say "Assalamu Aliakum" (Arabic); and Thank You
"Jazakallahu Khaira "جزاك الله خيرا"" (arabic)

.Sinhala writing is much more curved than Tamil.^The houses of the Sinhala, here, and indeed over all the island, are much more comfortable than the huts of the Hindoos on the continent, especially about Madras.

Get in

By plane

.SriLankan Airlines[2] (flight code
UL) is the national flagship carrier operating to
and from Colombo-Bandaranayake International Airport (ICAO: VCBI, IATA: CMB) [3].^As international relief flights arrived in Sri Lanka, a brewery in Colombo, the capital, switched from beer to bottled water to help survivors, according to the relief organization Oxfam International.

.Flights are
available from cities throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, China,
Japan, the Middle East, India, and Pakistan.^Indeed, the Sinhalese language is an Indo-European language of Indic group, unrelated to the older languages of South India (the Dravidian) and Southeast Asia.

.Qatar Airways has become a popular choice from
Europe to Sri Lanka by 2008, and the Indian carrier
Kingfisher Airlines started operations on the
Bangalore-Colmbo route in early 2009, enabling easy links to Sri
Lanka via India.^Power transmission link between India and Sri Lanka .

:. The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka .:28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.priu.gov.lk [Source type: General]

.This opens ups cheap flight
for visitors from South East Asia as well as those who are visiting
South Asia and then heading to South-East Asia (or vice-versa).^Many were the Muslims of South India who came to ceylon in pursuit of trade as well as for the purpose of imparting the Arabic language and also spreading Islam.

^The principle of purdah is general to the South Asian subcontinent and was brought by Muslims from Central Asia who entered and eventually conquered most of the Indian subcontinent by the 17th century.

Other airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines,
Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Saudi Arabian, LTU (Germany), and
Edelweiss Air (Switzerland) operate to Colombo-Bandaranayake from
their respective home bases.

From USA/Canada

.There are no direct flights that reach Sri Lanka from cities
outside Asia, the Middle East and Europe.^Can there be peace in Sri Lanka?

:. The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka .:28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.priu.gov.lk [Source type: General]

.From the American West
Coast, the distance is almost half the globe.^The south-west wind is felt generally over the island, but the north-east wind does not, during half its duration, reach across the mountains to Colombo on the west coast.

.Depending on your
preferences, and how much spare time you have, you can consider a
stopover in Europe or SE Asia or take a non-stop flight over the
North Pole to New Delhi
or Mumbai from Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, New York City, or San Francisco.^But rogue waves can rise in any ocean, and Sunday's disaster renewed attention on the vulnerability of major coastal cities like New York City.

By ship

.You can take Indian Shipping lines cargo and passenger ship from
Trivandrum cheaper than the planes.^It will take longer, officials said, for eight slow-moving Marine cargo ships coming from Guam and the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to reach southeast Asia.

.Sri Lanka port authority [6] has information.^The number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka went up 2.1 percent in 2009, compared to the previous year, according to figures released by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

:. The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka .:28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.priu.gov.lk [Source type: General]

^Sri Lanka is trying to build up a bio-technology information network and capacity in the area of taxonomy.

Get around

Three-wheeler

.The most common mode of transport in Sri Lanka is via a
three-wheeled automobile appropriately referred to as a
three-wheeler (Tri-Shaw).^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

Also known as
Tuk-Tuks from the noise of their motors. .These
operate in a manner similar to taxis, and is a highly
cost-efficient way to get around.^Shop around, lick you lips don’t be shy to ask us how these modern mass killing weapons are operated.

.However, three-wheelers have been
linked to many illegal and criminal activities, including an
assasination attempt on a foreign ambassador, in the recent
past.^However in real life he had to arrest three poor peasants who illegally cut timber in his state and later to prosecute them.

It is good to avoid Three Wheelers if you can. .They are not
cheap even for the Sri Lankan (it is a common misconception that
Three Wheelers are cheap).^Sri Lankan government is basically clamping down on all Tamil civilians, putting them in concentration camps, because they want freedom and equal rights.

^Sri Lankan asylum seekers and refugees currently living in Malaysia cannot be forced to return to uncertain conditions of living where they might have to live in camps or where they might be subject to persecution.

A radio taxi (car) is metered (insist on
the meter!). Metered taxis are always cheaper than the 'negotiated'
ones. .If you are there for over a month you may be able to hire a
private car/van with a driver for about US$350 (2008) plus
fuel-costs for a month.^The total cost of the car was Rs 3,350 of which he initially paid one-fourth cash down and the balance spread over eighteen months.

Considering that you may be spending over
US$30 per day on Taxis this might be a better option, especially if
you are touring with friends and can split the 'tab'.

By car

.Rented cars usually turn out cheaper than
three-wheelers, and are less prone to road accidents--and are
recommended by most hotels.^They are obliged to go out of the way, or turn back, when a person of higher caste meets them on the road.

Rented cars often come with their own drivers. Often the
automobile itself is free, whereas the driver will charge a fee for
his services. .Some drivers/guides are government-licensed; some are
extremely knowledgeable and multi-lingual, specializing in
historical and cultural knowledge, and environment/natural history
for your visits to the ancient sites and the natural reserves.^This leech is smaller than the medicinal species, and some varieties of it are extremely minute.

Tour operators

.Tour Operators are happy to get you a van and a driver who will
take you all over the island but beware, the roads are bumpy and
slow.^The whole world wants to help you, my country especially," said Wolfowitz, who is touring the countries worst hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

.If you book off-the-cuff when you arrive, ask to be shown on
a map where you are going before agreeing to any 'tour' of the
island and research before you arrive so that you have a clear idea
of where you might like to travel.^The 2:15 car that is arranged to meet you might arrive at 3 p.m.

Senseless backtracking to
lengthen the trip and increase the cost is a real danger, as is a
driver's wish to take you on unwanted shopping expeditions in an
effort to gain commission. .Travel websites specialising in Sri
Lanka are easily found and have greatly increased the choice that
is readily available to independent travellers seeking tailor-made
tours.^Sri Lanka websites .

:. The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka .:28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.priu.gov.lk [Source type: General]

.The best of them will produce clearly-stated travel
itineraries and some are flexible enough to make late changes to
itineraries.^See also Web Editors comments and changes to some spelling to make it more readable.

Taxi companies

.Taxis are a better way of getting around Colombo than three
wheelers as, due to the metering, they often turn out to be
cheaper.^As they are performed in public places to bless the community as a whole and turn out to be social get-togethers, they bear a corporate character.

By bus

For those on a budget buses are everywhere. .They're ridiculously
crowded and massively uncomfortable, but they get you around for
almost nothing; it costs about a dollar to get half-way across the
island.^Crime has nothing fearsome about when you are….

If you're planning on splashing out, AC
buses run most routes for twice the price, which offer
air-conditioning and a guaranteed seat. .However, they're still
uncomfortable.^However, latest reports suggest that this had now changed and they will now get a permanent house under a re-housing grant supported by NGOs.

Sri Lanka: Waiting to go home - the plight of the internally displaced 28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.amnestyusa.org [Source type: Original source]

.Bus stations are confusing places, especially the
big ones, but almost everyone will be delighted to practice their
English and help you.^If you would like call somebody a master of English language, there is only one choice.

.Also, when travelling by bus, it is local
etiquette in most buses to provide or give up the very front
passenger seats to members of the clergy such as monks or priests
if they are present.^These would be seated on a mat on the ground in front of the reciting monks.

By train

.(see warning in the stay safe section) Trains
also run in some places - these can be slower than buses, depending
if you are on a line that offers an express train or not, but more
comfortable and picturesque and even less expensive than buses.^These are less shunned than the men.

.Sri Lanka has an extensive railway system serving all major
towns and cities in the island except for the North.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.There are
special Observation cars for tourists that like to take in the
scenery.^There are also occasions when devotees light and offer a particular large number of lamps for special purposes, such as redeeming a vow (baraya) or on special occasions like Vesak Day.

.The Railway system in Sri Lanka is very picturesque when
entering the hill country because of the winding tracks along the
mountains especially on the Badullu-Nanu Oya line.^Sri Lanka is an ethnically heterogeneous country.

Make sure, if
you can, to sit on the right side of the train, as it offers the
better view.

Certain trains like the intercity to Kandy have to be booked in
advance as they do get sold out. .See [7] and [8] for more
details.^For a more detailed discussion, see the 2007 International Religious Freedom Report .

By plane

.Sri Lankan Airlines operates small Seaplane
service to destinations such as Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Galle and many
more locations.^Moreover, the presence of so many international organisations has inflated the prices of property and services, making it hard for smaller local NGOs to continue to operate.

Sri Lanka: Waiting to go home - the plight of the internally displaced 28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.amnestyusa.org [Source type: Original source]

.This is perfect for Photography trips because you
can get a bird's eye view of the island and takes less time to get
to a destination than using the road.^Torture and other forms of the use of force take place at all police stations all the time every day.

Buy

The currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee. .The exchange rates are
approximately 117Rs/ USD, 160Rs/ EUR or 186Rs/GBP There are coins
for 25 and 50 cents (bronze), 1 rupee (old version is big and
silver, new version is small and gold,) 2 rupees (silver,) and 5
rupees (gold,) as well as banknotes ranging from 10- 2000 rupees.^Penalties for employing minors were increased from approximately $9 (1,000 rupees) and/or six months' imprisonment to $93 (10,000 rupees) and/or 12 months' imprisonment.

Handicrafts Of Sri Lanka. .For reed, cane, cotton, paper,
leather, wood, clay, metal, and gemstones have been transformed and
re-expressed in a array of batiks, toys, curios and jewelery, all
exquisite hand made treasures.^It would appear at this point, that they're going to be handed a pretty significant military defeat, and the rest of the world will do bugger all about it.

Credit cards and ATMs

ATMs are located in many places (specially at bank branches) in
the cities and suburbs, less so in the countryside. .Be careful of
using the credit card as credit card fraud is on the rise in Sri
Lanka.^CARE Australia teams from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Thailand are traveling to affected areas to gauge the impact of the disaster.

.You can withdraw from debit cards too (Cirrus, Maestro, Visa
Electron etc) where the logos are displayed - so no need to carry
wads of US dollars when entering the country.^There was no Pol Pot among the apes.Don't you need an Pol Pot to give birth killing Fields?

and the common fiery addition to any
curry, pol sambol made of grated coconut, red chilli
powder and lime juice.

.The food is very cheap generally, with a cheap meal costing
about a dollar.^The above mentioned measures are very simple ones which General Fonseka can easily take if he is sincere about his ‘election promise’ of implementing the provisions of the 17th Amendment.

.The most expensive, tourist-orientated places
seldom charge more than ten dollars.^The death toll from the tsunamis and the resultant floods was reported to be more than 59,000, with tens of thousands of people reported missing, and over a million left homeless.

.The staple food of Sri Lankans
is rice and curry - a massive mound of rice
surrounded by various curries and delicacies.^The Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Women Lawyers’ Association, and various other organizations offer free legal aid to women and children.

.If you want to eat a
cheap lunch you can follow the Sri Lankan crowds and duck into any
of a million small cafes, confusingly called 'Hotels'. These
normally sell a rice and curry packet, as well as 'short eats', a
collection of spicy rolls.^If it is lunch, it would be the usual rice-and-curry meal and is invariably offered before noon.

.This is ideal for backpackers and those
who want to get past the touristy hotels selling burnt chicken and
chips - you're charged by how much you eat, and unless you're
absolutely ravenous it probably won't cost over a dollar.^To those who glorified You in it prostrating.

.Kottu (Kothu) Roti (a medley of chopped roti,
vegetables and your choice of meat) is a must-have for anyone -
tourist or otherwise - in Sri Lanka.^Canada must do something to prevent this sinking ship, the Government of Sri Lanka, from taking hundreds of thousands of innocent lives along with it.

It is uniquely Sri Lankan and
tastes best when made fresh by street vendors.

.Note that Sri Lankans eat with their right
hands - this isn't a major problem, because everywhere
will be able to provide cutlery if you can't eat otherwise.^Sri Lankan government is basically clamping down on all Tamil civilians, putting them in concentration camps, because they want freedom and equal rights.

.But try
the Sri Lankan way (tips of fingers only!^Comparing the atrocities against the Tamils in Sri Lanka with that of Hitler’s concentration camp, she said the only solution for the Lankan issue is a separate Eelam for Tamils...'

There are many upscale restaurants to choose from in the city of
Colombo. .There are several fine dining restaurants at the 5 star
hotels which offer both Local and International cuisine.^Independent verification and analysis, by both local and international actors, is one of the key means to foster freedom of expression and information flow in any country, especially one where there is an armed conflict.

^Local NGOs also reported that staff members were leaving to join international NGOs which offer higher salaries, thereby reducing their capacity to operate.

Sri Lanka: Waiting to go home - the plight of the internally displaced 28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.amnestyusa.org [Source type: Original source]

.These
establishments are found largely in western Colombo (along Galle
Road), though more are located around Colombo and other major
cities.^Thousands more bodies were found in Indonesia, dramatically increasing the death toll across 11 nations to around 44,000.

Fast-food outlets such as KFC, Pizza Hut etc. can be found in
Colombo and Kandy.

Drink

Water is not always healthy for unseasoned
travelers, and so it is recommended that either purifying tablets
or bottled water be used whenever possible. .Fresh
milk, due to the climate, spoils easily, and so is often
very expensive.^Very often, the state blames the absence of the cooperation from the public when, in fact, this cooperation is not forthcoming due to public perception that there is serious involvement of the state in hushing up the crime.

Thambli the juice from King Coconut, is very
refreshing. .It's sold at the side of streets throughout the island,
you know it's clean as the coconut is cut open in front of you and
it's cheaper than bottled drinks at about R20/- each.^The houses of the Sinhala, here, and indeed over all the island, are much more comfortable than the huts of the Hindoos on the continent, especially about Madras.

Soft drinks are available almost everywhere,
normally in dusty-looking glass bottles. The local producer,
Elephant, make a range of interesting drinks - try the ginger beer
and cream soda.

."Coca Cola" and "Pepsi" also available in large and small sizes
(plastic bottles) including several local soft drink brands - all
available at rapidly multiplying supermarkets all across the
country and grocery shops.^If the cameras were to be available at all such police stations the films, such as the one of Balavarnam Sivakumar’s assault at the Bambilipitya Sea would be available in all parts of the country.

The most common local beer is Lion Lager. For
something a bit different try Lion Stout. It is
characterized by it's tar-like oiliness of body and chocolate
finish. Other brews include Three Coins, which is
brewed by the Mt Lavinia hotel chain, allegedly to a Belgian
recipe.

The traditional spirit is Arrack, which costs
about 4 USD for a bottle, and is often drunk with ginger beer. .The
quality can vary depending on how much you want to pay.^"With so much loss of life, how could you not help?"

.What would be recognised as the modern tourist industry began in
the 1960s with traditional beach hotels built on the west coast
which were aimed primarily at the package holiday crowd and
traditional travel operators.^Modern tourist hotel to Jaffna .

:. The Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka .:28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.priu.gov.lk [Source type: General]

^The navy has been airlifting tourists who were stranded at hotels and bungalows near affected beaches to safer areas.

But the past decade has brought a
major change, with the growth of villas, boutique hotels, and small
independent and individualistic properties offering a huge array of
choice.

Learn

.Buddhist Studies and Pali Language Universities
of Peradeniya [9] and Kelaniya
[10] offer variety of Buddhist Studies and Pali Language
courses in English.^And that is, I feel privileged to have a chance to teach non other than Buddhist Bhiksus themselves, albeit English language.

Mahamevnawa Meditation Monastery is a good place to learn true
buddhism.

Stay safe

.Sri Lanka's lengthy and bloody civil war seems to come to an end
in May 2009, when the Sri Lankan army finally defeated the rebel
group Tamil Tigers.^Civilians flee as Sri Lankan government closes in on Tamil Tigers .

.It is still way too early to assess if the
broader conflict between the hinduistic tamil minority and the
buddhist sinhalese majority will now be settled in the political
arena.^In the nature of the sharp dispute between the Sinhalese and Tamils that gathered momentum in recent times, even this is disputed for reasons that can only be described as mischievous.

^The situation has reached the stage of no-return since Sinhala political rulers at different times and in various ways worked up the Sinhala mind homing on them this was, is and will be the Land of the Sinhalese majority.

.The northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka are likely to
remain under strict military control for a considerable time.^A M SHERIFF of Kattankudy The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is the most thickly populated Muslim area in the whole Island.

.Some
areas may contain land mines, and the facilities in cities and
towns are war torn.^The LTTE is suspected of having used claymore mines to attack buses in Sinhalese areas, including some carrying civilians.

Bombings and assassinations were a firm part of the Tigers'
repertoire, and there is heavy security in all sensitive locations.
While the separatists have never targeted tourists and none have
ever been killed, a few have been wounded by terrorist actions. .In
general, though, traffic accidents should be a greater concern than
terrorism.^Among the mountains, the temperature is generally cooler than might be expected, and the vicissitudes are greater.

As in most tourist locations, beware of pickpockets, and don't
leave valuables unguarded. Women should not be alone at night on
the beach or streets. .There has been a slight increase in violent
crimes involving tourists in the past few years, but it is still
very rare.^During the year the Bureau for the Protection of Children and Women received 2,010 complaints of violent crimes against children and 425 cases of sexual abuse of children.

Con artists and touts are a serious problem throughout all
tourist areas. Using the services of a tout for accommodation,
local travel, etc. will most likely increase the price. First time
travelers to Sri Lanka may find themselves the victim of scams,
however seasoned travelers to Sri Lanka are very rarely scammed and
it is simple to avoid becoming a victim of scammers by taking
precautions:

Do not believe anyone who claims to be a professional (e.g.
airline pilot), or in charge of a location (like a bus terminal)
without proof.

Scams involving gemstones are common. .Do not buy with the
intention of selling them in your home country for a profit.

Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you
unsolicited directions or travel advice.^The whole world wants to help you, my country especially," said Wolfowitz, who is touring the countries worst hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

^It was during that same year that he commissioned my father, his siblings and a couple of his cousins to travel throughout the orient to explore the possibility of buying and selling gemstones in that region.

.Take any advice from taxi
and auto drivers with a grain of salt, especially if they tell you
the place you want to go to is closed, dangerous, non-existent etc.^Individuals from the group have expressed that they do not want to go back to Sri Lanka, making this a forced repatriation exercise.

^This is also an outright violation of the international customary law of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of people to places where they may face persecution or threats to their life or freedoms.

Don't engage in business with people who have to actively
approach you for business.^For those of you who don't like the bad tasting store brands, but aren't ready to try some of the more adventuresome flavors, this is a good one to try!"

.If people have to approach or make
overtures to you for business without you seeking them on your own
volition then they shouldn't be considered for business
dealings.

If you have been told your hotel is closed or full, give them a
call.^You hitting the hotel UFC 109 LIVE STREAM COUTURE VS COLEMAN FULL FIGHT http://UFCVIEW.com/ UFC 109 LIVE STREAM COUTURE VS COLEMAN FULL FIGHT http://UFCVIEW.com/ Watching ufc fights (: Watching ufc fights (: You can vote and comment by registering OR loggin in to your account and your comments and votes will be added to your account.

If you are a first time visitor to Sri Lanka, don't admit it
as it will make you a target for the scam artists.

.Also, beware of single males who wish you to accompany them
after a religious service.^To those who predict victory for the opposition, he wished to remind them that the war victory was not won by any single person or group but the correct political leadership of the president.

First, ask other members if the person
is honest and reliable. .Dishonest Sri Lankans (mostly male) are
very adept at talking tourists out of their money, and generally
prefer this method over violence.^Sri Lankans in general have a very Victorian attitude toward sex.

.They frequent the Galle Face Road
area surrounding the tourist hotels, Galle Face Hotel and the
Holiday Inn.^The navy has been airlifting tourists who were stranded at hotels and bungalows near affected beaches to safer areas.

.Their "modus operandi" is to tell you upfront that
they don't want anything from you, only to talk.^(Still makes a great morning tea)" Aimee G. Nov 19th '08 "A good choice when you want to have flavored tea but don't want the really strong flavor of some teas."

.They will wine,
dine, and pay for everything, and then, after two days, will begin
to extort money from you.^It was this beginning that paved the way for the two brothers to set up their own vegetable and supplies business in Kandy after a few years when they were almost in their early twenties.

This does not happen commonly, but there
have been a few cases - so beware.

Although snake bites are extremely rare among tourists
(comparable to being struck by lightning), anyone bitten should
seek prompt medical care. This is true even if the bite doesn't
result in any pain and swelling. The National Emergency number is
119. In Colombo, dial either 119 or if you want an emergency
ambulance - 110.

Vaccination are recommended for Hepatitis A+B,
Polio, and Tetanus. .Also, the Typhus vaccination outside of tourist
areas especially in the wet season.

Dengue
fever: During the rainy season use mosquito repellent.^In addition to the large number of local residents, some tourists during the busy Christmas holiday travel season were among the casualties.

.Negombo), Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya districts are considered
malaria free, as is the city (but not the entire
district) of Kandy.^For the Colombo-Kandy Road from the 35th to 45th mile post, that is from Warakapola to Galigamuwa and for the Warakapola-Ruwanwella Road upto 7 ¼ mile post, that is from Warakapola to Galapitamada in the Kegalle District of the Sabaragamuwa Province.

^Some of his sensational bowling feats were 4 for 4 for Colombo Moors vs Galle Moors in 1920 and 7 for 27 for Moors Sports Club vs Colombo Sports Club in 1921, 4 for 4 and 6 for 26 vs Nuwara Eliya, and 8 for 7 vs Times of Ceylon in 1926.

Elsewhere,
malaria exists and is most likely in Anuradhapura. .In the dry season, using
DEET repellent for a mid-day road or train trip to
Kandy (including visits to the Peradeniya Gardens) or Nuwara Eliya
should suffice.^Captain Wilson was operaring on the base from the present road between Welimada and Nuwara Eliya, known even today as “Wilson’s” (Van Sanden pp98).

Risk increases after sunset. .Malaria
prophylaxis (anti-malarials) are warranted for trips to
the north (especially Anuradhapura), east, and southeast (however
some types are not available locally, and it may not be as
effective as what you could obtain back home.^People could go back to their homes.

^However, after several rounds of talks the LTTE withdrew from the negotiations in April 2003 citing the lack of peace dividends for the north and east.

Sri Lanka: Waiting to go home - the plight of the internally displaced 28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.amnestyusa.org [Source type: Original source]

^The LTTE claims that the government's insistence on centralising the tsunami response has been highly detrimental to the north and east where a different type of response is needed because of the different conditions that prevail.

Sri Lanka: Waiting to go home - the plight of the internally displaced 28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.amnestyusa.org [Source type: Original source]

)

Yellow
fever: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is
required from travelers over 1 year of age coming from infected
areas.

Respect

There are several customs that (for Westerners) take a bit of
getting used to.

It is customary to remove shoes and
wear respectful attire (i.e. no miniskirts, tank tops,
short pants etc.) when visiting temples. It is also the
custom to remove shoes before entering a home, though this is not
as strictly followed as in places such as Japan.

Never touch or pat the top of the head of
Buddhist monks, including children who practice at a temple.

Do not turn your back to (or be alongside) a
Buddha statue when within a reasonable distance (observe what
others are doing). This includes posing for photos. .It's OK to
photograph a statue, but all persons should be facing it.

Public nudity is illegal in Sri Lanka -
nude/topless sunbathing and skinny dipping should be avoided except
in the private beach resorts which allow it.

Although much latitude is given to tourists, it is more polite
to use your right hand when shaking hands, handing
money and small objects, etc.^Click here for more photographs of Elephants of Sri Lanka .

.Always give them a seat
on a crowded bus (unless you're disabled or very elderly).

No photography of sensitive locations (inside
and outside), and inside of shopping malls and tea factories
(outside OK).^Michael T. Mar 15th '09 "A very smooth tea...I drink this just straight, no sugar, no lemon, just as is."

Be especially careful in Fort, Colombo (except on the
beach). If soldiers are guarding something, it probably shouldn't
be photographed. Don't rely on signs alone, as sometimes they are
old or missing. .For example, one end of a bridge may have a "No
Photography" sign, but not the other.

Seemingly innocuous public displays of
affection between lovers such as kissing and/or hugging
may be culturally frowned upon as it is considered to be private
behaviour but it is acceptable in functions and establishments
designated for adults such as nightclubs, casinos and beach
parties.^The exiles took advantage of all the opportunities to impress which came their way, one early example of their active participation in a public function was the reception they gave to the blunts, who came especially to see them.

.Remove
the '0' from a Sri Lankan number beginning with '0' (ie 0112 688
688 becomes 94 112 688 688) when dialling from abroad.^It has become a normal pattern of behaviour for Sri Lankans to take measures to safeguard their thoughts and tongues when talking about things which affect their own lives.

^Throughout the mid-1980s the fighting between Tamil armed groups(3) and the Sri Lankan security forces continued to displace significant numbers of people from their homes.

Sri Lanka: Waiting to go home - the plight of the internally displaced 28 January 2010 1:54 UTCwww.amnestyusa.org [Source type: Original source]

.The two next
numbers after 94 represents the area code, they are different for
every district for more information see
Telephone numbers in Sri_Lanka.^In Kham they reduced the number of monks and forbade recruiting monks for the next twenty years.

.In 807, Dhappula III became king, making the capital city Anuradhapura.^The ancient capital cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura are a delight featuring many outstanding ruins, enormous statues of reclining Buddhas, and Buddhist shrines and temples galore.

William Ivor Jennings (1903-1965), "Sir Ivor", QC, Litt D (Cantab) LLD (Lond), founder Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, and Deputy Civil Defense Commissioner during World War 2.

Sir Thomas J. Lipton, British grocery-chain owner turned tea blender then planter: "Between the estates I had bought and the big sum of money I left with my agent I think I must have invested well over a hundred thousand pounds in Ceylon within a week of my arrival in that lovely and delectable island of spicy breezes."